The Army has confirmed the testing of a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 Quadrupedal-Unmanned Ground Vehicle (Q-UGV), armed with an AI-enabled gun turret, in the Middle East. Photos from the September exercise at the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in Saudi Arabia show the robot engaging static ground targets.
The AI system mounted on the Q-UGV, featuring an electro-optical targeting system, was previously tested during Operation Hard Kill at Fort Drum, New York, this past August.
Although the specific capabilities of the AI system remain classified, it is designed to track and engage aerial threats with greater precision than traditional soldiers.
The deployment reflects a growing focus by the Pentagon on leveraging autonomous systems to counter the increasing threat of drones.
Other counter-drone technologies tested alongside the Q-UGV include the Containerized Weapon System and Rheinmetall’s Mission Master XT unmanned ground vehicle, both armed with remotely operated guns. These systems are part of a push to replace expensive surface-to-air missiles with lower-cost, AI-powered alternatives.
While the robot dog represents an experimental step toward human-machine integration in combat, it remains unclear if these systems will be widely deployed.